Are your MCAT scores good enough to get you into the medical school program of your choice?
A "good" MCAT score is one that puts you near or above the average percentile for matriculants at your target medical schools.For comparison, the average MCAT score for students admitted to an MD program in the United States in 2022–2023 is between 511 and 512, with an average GPA of 3.75. (Source: AAMC ).
Guide to MCAT Scoring
The highest MCAT score possible is 528. The MCAT scale is centered so that a 500 represents the mean score. AAMC recommends that med school admission committees consider applicants near the center of the range, rather than placing the most emphasis on the higher end of the scale.
MCAT Raw Score
The MCAT is a scaled exam, meaning that your raw score (based on the number of questions you got right) is converted into a scaled score that takes into account the difficulty of the questions.
MCATScore Range
Each MCAT section is scored on a scale of 118–132 (highest). Your MCAT total score (whch is the sum of your section scores) ranges from 472–528. Because different versions of the test have varying levels of difficulty, the scale will be slightly different from one MCAT administration to the next.
You’ll receive a percentile rank along with your MCAT score to help you compare how you did with other test takers. Did you get a percentile rank of 50? You scored higher or equal to 50% of other test takers! The higher your MCAT percentile, the better.
Our medical school admission experts recommend that you aim for a total score of 511 or above. This score places you in the 81 st percentile of MCAT scores, according to AAMC.
Read More: Medical School Requirements: How Important is GPA?
Average MCAT Scores 2023–2024
The average MCAT score for all applicants is currently between a 506 and 507. The average MCAT score for matriculants (those who've been accepted and have registered to attend a med school) is between a 511 and a 512. Here are the average MCAT scores by section:
Remember that if your GPA is on the low side, you’ll need higher MCAT scores to compensate, and if you have a strong GPA, you can get away with lower MCAT scores.
Use resources like the MSAR (Medical School Admissions Requirements) database to help you compare your grades and scores to the average scores for the med schools on your list. The MSAR Online is available for a $28 subscription fee to students looking for information on U.S. and Canadian medical schools.
You can also find average GPA and acceptance rates for many medical schools in our online medical school profiles. Just use our med school search to find the program you want to research.
Compare your grades and scores to the stats for the med schools on your list to get a sense of how you'd compete. Read our tips for how to decide if you should retake the MCAT .
Med Schools Evaluate the Total Package
The reality is that your chances of acceptance depend on a lot more than just good MCAT score. It’s a combination of the following pieces of your med school application :
your GPA
your MCAT scores
your undergraduate coursework
letters of recommendation
experience related to the medical field (such as volunteer work or research)
extracurricular activities
your personal statement, etc.
Medical schools are looking for a complete package, not just strong scores and a high GPA.
Read More: How To Make Your Med School Application Stand Out
Earning a 515 or higher on the MCAT makes you a top applicant for medical school admissions. A score of 515 on the MCAT is an important score threshold because it means you've earned a 91st percentile score. According to the AAMC
AAMC
The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. that was established in 1876.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Association_of_American_M...
Answer #1: in most recent medical school application cycles, a score of 510-511 and above would be considered a good MCAT score. A good MCAT score would not have any section scores below 127. Anything above 520 is exceptional.
What is a Good MCAT Score? A good MCAT score is typically considered to be 128 out of 132 in any one of the four sections, or a total of 511 out of 528 for all four sections combined.
An MCAT of 512 or above makes you a competitive applicant for both allopathic and osteopathic medical schools assuming other aspects of your candidacy are also strong. An MCAT of 515, which will place you in the 90th percentile of all test takers, or above will make you a much more competitive applicant.
While test designers make it difficult, it is possible to achieve a so-called “perfect score” on the MCAT. Out of the approximately two hundred thousand students who take the exam each year, it is estimated that between 30 and 70 achieve the highest score of 528 on the MCAT.
Medical schools have different minimum score requirements for students based on being in-state, out-of-state, in particular programs, socioeconomic backgrounds, and more. Considering that a 520 is far ahead of the average MCAT score of a 501, it's very competitive for med-school admission.
The lowest MCAT score accepted by most medical schools in the U.S. and Canada is typically in the range of 490-495. Scores below 490 are rarely, if ever, accepted. It's important to note that while 490-495 is the minimum score accepted, the vast majority of applicants score well above this range.
With an astonishingly low acceptance rate of about 1.4%, Stanford is the country's hardest medical school to get into. They admit students who not only boast impressive academic records but also showcase a deep passion for leadership, community involvement, and pushing the boundaries of medical knowledge.
Although the mean total MCAT score among all applicants is 506.5, successful MD applicants typically achieve an MCAT total score at or above the 73rd percentile (i.e., 508+).
It depends on the med school. But, the easy answer is: MCAT. Some med schools believe that GPA is a better indicator of future success because it measures your work ethic and determination.
20% of MCAT test-takers score a 509 or above on the test. And only around 10% of test-takers score better than a 515. Considering the average MCAT score of successful matriculants to medical schools sits around 511.7, earning a competitive MCAT score IS hard.
The average MCAT score of Ivy League medical school matriculants is commonly in the 98th percentile. So for applications to colleges such as Harvard, Yale or Brown – a good MCAT score would be 520 or more.
A great score is 515 to 528 (the maximum possible score), while an average score is 502 to 508. In contrast, a poor score is 501 and below. This guide will go over what a good MCAT score is and how medical schools use your score to make their decision. '
According to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), in the 2023-24 med school application cycle, the average MCAT score for newly admitted students was between 511 and 512. The highest score possible on the MCAT is 528. So, you can say a “good” MCAT score would be between 511 and 528.
According to recent AAMC stats, a 512 on the MCAT is not a bad score because it's an above-average MCAT score, and it is competitive for med-school admission: A 512 is 85 percentile rank on the MCAT. * The current average MCAT score is at the 501 mark, and a 512 is 11 points ahead of that score.
Assuming a strong GPA and extracurricular profile, scoring a 518 or above will help you be competitive for the highest-tier schools, even if their average matriculant MCAT score is a 520 or 521. With scores at this level, an MCAT retake is not necessary because schools will consider you to be academically elite.
The lowest MCAT score accepted by most medical schools in the U.S. and Canada is typically in the range of 490-495. Scores below 490 are rarely, if ever, accepted. It's important to note that while 490-495 is the minimum score accepted, the vast majority of applicants score well above this range.
However, generally speaking, missing around five to seven questions out of the total number of questions on the MCAT would typically result in a score of 520.
As of the 2022-23 testing cycle, the 50th percentile score for the MCAT is 501.6. In other words, a score of 502 or higher is considered an above-average MCAT score. Because med school is super competitive, the higher the score you earn, the better your chances of getting in will be.
Introduction: My name is Gregorio Kreiger, I am a tender, brainy, enthusiastic, combative, agreeable, gentle, gentle person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
